by Marla Monroe
She sighed and nodded. “All right, I’ll stay there…for a while.”
Lamar sighed as Brody ground his teeth.
“I’m not going to stay there all day. Hurry back.”
They quickly cleaned up the kitchen then Lamar and Brody drove her to the fetish wear shop, Bits and Pieces. Lamar walked her inside and introduced her to Auria and Kathleen. He explained that they needed Caitlyn to stay with them for an hour or so.
“We’ll be back as soon as we can. Find something fun to wear, Caity.”
She rolled her eyes at him but let him kiss her on the cheek before he left.
Lamar hated the idea of leaving her anywhere without them to protect her, but he figured it was as good a place as any. He hurried back out to the truck and climbed in as Brody put it in gear.
When they pulled up at the diner, it was to find two other cars there besides the sheriff’s car. One had out-of-state tags. The other had Texas tags that made them from the San Antonio area. Lamar drew in a deep breath and looked over at Brody.
“You ready?”
“Yep, let’s get this over with and get our woman back before they turn her into a fetish queen.”
They climbed out of the truck and walked into the diner. The sheriff was sitting close to the front door nursing a cup of coffee when they walked by. In the back of the room crammed into one booth were four guys. Three of them were obviously muscle. They wore T-shirts stretched tightly over their impressive physiques. The fourth man was easily in his sixties, maybe even early seventies. He looked like he tried to keep in shape, but age would only allow so much before the normal breakdown of tissues took its toll.
He and Brody nodded at the sheriff. Then they approached the group in the back with their hands out to their sides. Once they had gotten within eight feet of them, they stopped and waited for the old man to speak.
After what seemed like hours, the man patted his mouth with his napkin before dropping it into his plate. He pushed the plate aside and folded his hands on the tabletop. Then he just stared at them for a few minutes. The hired muscle stared around the room mostly, but they were finely attuned to their boss.
“We’re here, what did you want to discuss?” Lamar had had enough of standing there staring at each other.
“First of all, I’m Ferdinando Azzali. My father started Azzali Steele nearly ninety-eight years ago. We’ve prided ourselves on being totally up-front and honest with our customers, and if I’m not, they will be the first to turn me in.” He sat back in his chair.
“Enough of this.” Brody didn’t have the patience for this. “What did you want us for?”
“Why do I have to want you for anything? Maybe I just want to apologize for my family’s obvious mistake in person. He is overly ambitious, not overly smart.”
“Yeah, we got that from him right off.” Lamar continued to watch the other men at the table.
“He will be dealt with once he is released from jail. I wish you had informed us before you involved the police. We would have handled it without their involvement, and all of this would have been over.”
“Don’t count on it. The law around here is very thorough. They would have traced down the connection and hassled your people anyway.” Brody slipped his hands into his pockets.
Lamar considered doing the same thing because his hands were beginning to sweat.
“I suppose this is a small community where everyone knows everyone, so you are probably right. It wouldn’t have been possible to keep it quiet.” The older man sighed and waved his hand in the air as if to clear it of some strong smell. “I’m here for another reason as well.”
“What would that be?” Brody asked.
“I would like to keep my business open in San Antonio. Can we agree not to push into each other’s territory?”
“There’s more than enough work for both of us in the area.”
“We like to keep competition to a minimum. Keeps business flowing and prices reasonable for everyone.”
“So you want to set up a territory of sorts. What’s in it for us?”
“We promise not to invade your area and will be happy to help you with any other problems that crop up in your area.”
Brody frowned at that. Lamar had a feeling the old man’s idea of help would be a violent one. He planted his hands on his hips in an effort to dry them without being obvious.
“We have no intentions of spreading out into San Antonio. If you stay away from us and the general Austin area as well, we won’t bother you. How would that work for you?”
The older man sat back in the booth and thought about it for several seconds. Then he nodded and held out his hand.
Brody walked up and shook the old man’s hand, and Ferdinando pulled him down into a hug. Lamar wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of hugging the guy, but he shook his hand anyway. The hug turned out to be quick and painless.
“We’ll be on our way now.” They filed out of the booth and walked past Brody and Lamar as they did.
Everyone, including the sheriff, walked outside and climbed into their vehicles. Lamar and Brody waited until the two Cadillacs disappeared from sight. Once they were gone, Lamar waited on Brody to decide what to do next. His brother stared around the area then climbed back up in the cab of the truck and waited on Lamar to buckle up before he turned them around to go back to the shop.
He was out of the truck almost before he had put it in park and heading toward the fetish shop. Lamar had no doubt he was totally into Caitlyn. He didn’t want to be away from her any more than Lamar did.
Auria answered the back door and called over her shoulder to the others. “Come on in. We’re just going over the basics of the different lifestyles around here. She’s a sturdy sort, Lamar. You two could do better, but I can tell you’ve got your heart set on her.”
“She belongs to us now.” Brody wasn’t going leave until Auria acknowledged that Caity was theirs.
“Agreed. She belongs to you.”
At that moment, Caitlyn and Kathleen walked out of the front of the store. Caitlyn crossed to stand between him and Brody. She looked fine and didn’t seem to be in the least stressed out. That was good. The women must not have gotten into too much detail about the area. She didn’t seem spooked or nervous.
“Did you enjoy your visit?”
“I had a great time. I’m thinking that maybe the people here are pretty good. They’re friendly, that’s for sure.” She chuckled and shook her head. “And lo and behold but they need help with their books, too. Did you know that when you dropped me off here?”
Lamar shook his head. “Nope. We’ve never talked finances before.”
“Let’s get back to the house.” Brody edged them toward the back door of the fetish shop.
“Thanks, ladies, for keeping Caity company while we handled some business.”
“Not a problem, Brody. She’s welcome over here anytime.” Kathleen waved them off and closed the door behind them.
“What did you girls talk about?” Lamar was interested in finding out. How she reacted to them and the gossip around town could be an important step toward keeping her as their wife or losing her.
“A little bit about a lot of things. Most of it seemed like gossip to me, though. I’m not much on gossip.”
“What did you think about Auria and Kathleen?”
“Well, at first I thought they might be sexual partners, but they aren’t. Then I had to figure out what their relationship was other than friends and business partners.”
“Did you figure it out?”
“Yeah, Kathleen keeps Auria reined in. She is a bit wild and needs someone strong to keep her from getting into trouble and stuff.”
“It’s a unique relationship, that’s for sure.” Brody started the truck.
“Enough about that. I’m ready for a nap. I’m tired. I help them put up inventory. Some of that stuff is heavy.”
Lamar laughed and pulled her close to him so he could kiss her. She kissed him b
The minute Brody had the truck parked, Lamar and Caitlyn were unbuckled and climbing out of the truck. Brody cursed and hurried to unlock the garage door before they tore the door down trying to get in. He locked the truck and followed them inside. Lamar looked back to be sure that Brody was following them. He caught his brother’s eye and grinned. Brody was following them and using the opportunity to stare at Caitlyn’s sweet ass all the way up the stairs.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The week passed fast as they settled into a routine of sorts. They spent the majority of the day at the shop where they worked, stopping for lunch and either eating something they had brought or eating at the diner. They broke off from the shop around three thirty and worked on the online store until around six. Everything they had wrapped on one day got mailed out at lunch the next day. It was working pretty well.
Brian, Andy, and Tish were due back the next day. Caitlyn was both excited to see them and dreading it all at the same time. It meant that her days there were numbered in the single digits now. Once Tish proved to be proficient with the bookkeeping system for both the store and the online business, she wouldn’t have a reason to stick around anymore. It would be time for her to leave.
Pain blossomed inside her chest as if she’d been shot. For a minute, she thought she would pass out from it. Then it slowly subsided and she felt an overwhelming emptiness begin to take its place. This was how she would feel once she left Riverbend and Brody and Lamar.
“Why the sad face, Caity?” Lamar pulled her into his arms and looked down at her.
“Nothing. How is the project coming?”
“Just finished it. We’re thinking about going out for a celebration dinner tonight. Are you up for a steak and maybe some dancing?”
“Sounds good.” She would take every possible opportunity to be close to them while she could.
They finished up at the store early and hurried through showers and dressing to make it to the steak house by seven. Dinner proved to be fun and light, but once they arrived at the bar, the guys got quiet and kept their hands on some part of her body at all times. She could tell they were beginning to think along the same lines she was. This was the beginning of the end. She shook it off. She didn’t want to think about that tonight. She wanted to have fun tonight.
“Okay, who’s dancing with me first?” She stood up and set her beer on the table.
Lamar stood up and pulled her up tight against him.
“I’ve got you, Caity.” He pulled her along behind him as they headed toward the dance floor.
She looked back to see Brody watching them with a quiet expression on his face. She didn’t know what to make of that. Brody might brood or be angry, but he didn’t look quiet. She frowned but soon changed her expression when Lamar wrapped his arms around her while they danced.
He was a great dancer, and they stayed out on the floor through two more songs. Finally, she managed to get him to take her back to the table to rest.
“I’m obviously not in as good a shape as you are. Have mercy on me.”
He chuckled and helped her sit down before he sat next to her.
“Did he wear you out already?” Brody looked amused as he shook his head.
“I’m not used to doing anything other than sit in front of a computer all day.”
“That’s why there are weekends, so you can get out and exercise some.” Lamar squeezed her thigh.
“Speaking of exercise,” Brody began. “I’m looking forward to tonight. I bet your panties are wet already after all that rubbing around you did with Lamar a while ago.”
“You’re terrible.” She couldn’t help the blush that warmed her face.
They both laughed and leaned in on either side of her to nibble and lick her neck. She laid a hand on each of their chests and tried without real conviction to push them away. Neither man budged. She was sure by the time they finished that her neck was a solid line of red skin on both sides. She should be so embarrassed, but for some reason, it didn’t bother her. Maybe it was because there were other threesomes there as well. She finally put a stop to their mauling by grabbing their cocks with her hands in their laps.
“Right here with you, babe. Whatever you want.” Lamar’s grin told her that they weren’t taking her seriously.
“We’ll take good care of you, Caitydid. Just tell us what you want.” Brody actually pushed his dick farther into her hand.
“You guys are incorrigible. I can’t get a hand up on you for anything.”
“You love us like we are, though, right?” Lamar asked in a teasing voice.
“Yeah, I love you like you are.” She froze. She hadn’t meant to tell them.
Caitlyn glanced at them through lowered lashes and realized they hadn’t taken her seriously. It was all in fun and games. She sighed and returned to their games. Between dancing, drinking, and screwing around, she was totally exhausted by the time Brody called it a night. They each took an arm and helped her out of the bar and down the road where they had parked the truck.
It took Lamar two tries to get her up in the cab of the truck. Brody was laughing so hard at them that he couldn’t help them. Finally, they were all strapped in and ready to go. Lamar was busy trying to eat her breasts through her clothes while Brody negotiated the streets to get them home safely.
“You two need to calm down a bit over there. You’re going to get us thrown in jail for indecent behavior.” Brody’s amused voice sounded far away as Lamar’s hands pinched and prodded her nipples through her clothes.
“He’s just jealous that he has to drive and can’t play with you.”
“I’m going to have my turn, but not if you get us thrown in jail,” he reminded them.
Lamar pulled back and looked around. Then he shrugged and continued where he’d left off.
Caitlyn giggled and fought his lightning-fast hands. “Hold up, Lamar. We’re almost home. Just a few more seconds and we’ll be in the drive.”
“Umm, home. I like the sound of that coming from your mouth.”
Caitlyn froze. She’d said it without thinking about it, but Lamar had caught on to it. What did she do?
“Caity? What’s wrong, babe?” Lamar pulled back to look down in her face.
“Nothing. I was just trying to get ready to get out. I’ve got to put my clothes back right before we get to the house.”
She saw Lamar and Brody exchange glances. They had caught on that she’d changed her verbiage from home to house. What did they expect? She was supposed to leave any day now.
They all three climbed out of the truck in silence. Brody unlocked the door and stood aside for her to enter first. They headed for the kitchen, and when she pulled out a beer, the others followed suit.
“We need to talk about it, Caitlyn. They’ll be home tomorrow.” Brody’s voice sounded brittle.
“I know. But I don’t see what there is to talk about. I already told you that I would be leaving for Austin once they were back and Tish felt comfortable with the books.”
“I guess we were thinking, um, hoping that you would change your mind. You seemed to be happy here. We all get along just fine,” Lamar said.
“We do. It’s not that. I’m scared that we’ll get tired of each other after a while. You’ll find someone you really want to be with and then I’ll get left out in the cold again.”
She stared at them standing there. They could have any woman they wanted with their gorgeous bodies. All she knew was that they were handsome men with devilish looks in their eyes, and she was so in love with them that it was pathetic.
“Baby, we’re never going to get tired of you. You mean everything to us. We want you to be with us all the time.” Brody looked as if he wanted to reach out to her.
Caitlyn wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust that everything he said was the truth so she could stay there in Riverbend. Part of her did believe him. It was the other part that kept her from saying yes. The part that was afraid of being hurt again.
She quickly dried her tears and turned around when Lamar walked up behind her. He pulled her into his embrace and told her how beautiful she looked and that he wanted to fuck her pretty pussy until she passed out.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” She knew he was trying to take her mind off of everything.
“You weren’t complaining at the time.”
“I wasn’t about to. That was the best sex ever.” She had almost said loving ever and stopped herself in time.
“Sounds like a challenge to me. What about you?” Lamar turned to Brody.
“I think I’m up for a challenge.” Brody pulled her into a toe-curling kiss that took her breath away.
“Oh, my God.”
“My turn.” Lamar gave her little time to recover before he was sucking on her tongue and massaging her scalp with his nails.
When he finally pulled back, she was too dizzy to stand up straight. Brody picked her up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom. If they made love to her now, she’d cave for sure. She needed fast and wild to keep her promise to herself not to change her mind about Austin. Unfortunately, neither man was cooperating. She slid down Brody’s painfully aroused body. Once her feet touched the floor, she tried to turn and head in the opposite direction of the bed.
“No, you don’t. We’ve got some things to settle tonight.” Brody’s voice sounded serious now instead of aroused.
“What things?”
Only moments before he had been ready to take her to bed. Now he sounded like all he wanted to do was talk. Confusion clouded her mind.
“You’re moving in with us permanently sort of things.”
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